One Monday night, my family was really rushed and stressed. My husband and I were watching the clock, racing to get everyone fed, bathed, and ready for bed. Family home evening wasn’t looking like it was going to happen if we didn’t want zombies in the morning.
I remember looking over my oldest daughter’s head across the room to my husband. Making eye contact confirmed we were both exhausted. I said, “You know, we can have family home evening tomorrow night.”
Instantly my daughter snapped her head up, eyes blazing. “No!” She said. “We need to follow the prophet and he says to do family home evening on Monday!”
How many of us have that same idea? What does the prophet say? What are the official guidelines of the Church?
At lds.org it says: “
Monday nights are set aside by the Church for family home evening. If that doesn’t work, find a night that does.” (italics mine)
I know families who choose to do FHE on Sunday before or after church because school and work schedules pack the rest of the week. I know of a family who had “family home morning” once a week because one of the parents worked afternoons and evenings. However, for lots of families, Monday night works well.
My personal preference at this point is Monday night for two reasons. First, it brings intentional gospel focus into my home and into the week, so my kids see that God isn’t just relegated to church on Sunday. Also, doing it at the beginning of the week sets the tone for the rest of the week, especially when using my book FHEasy, which gives daily scriptures that correlate to the family home evening topic. So, ideally, that topic is introduced and focused on early in the week.
That said, I can see how our family might want to switch days as our children get older, and I’m totally open to that. I always remember the idea that family home evening was made for the family, not the family for family home evening (my application of Jesus’s view of the Sabbath in Mark 2:23). Family home evening is intended to help families bond and connect and to generally have a wonderful time together. Having a set day and time supports making that happen. Exactly which day and time doesn’t matter so much as whether the purpose of bonding as a family is being met.
Here’s some quick history. In 1915, FHE was inaugurated by Joseph F. Smith in general conference. At first, stakes were supposed to set aside a day a month and encourage families to hold a family night according to the guidelines given in the official First Presidency letter on the subject. Then in 1970, Monday night was set aside by the church so that no church activities would be held so if families wanted to use that night for FHE, there would be no church activities scheduled that might conflict with the family’s plans. A great article on the history and changes regarding family home evening can be found at deseretnews.com in the article “Family Home Evening Turns 40.”
What works best for you? Which days and times have you found work best for you and your family and why?
Happy Home Evenings . . . or mornings or afternoons!
No Comments Yet